1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally pertains to liquid condiment dispensers. Specifically, this invention describes a dual chamber condiment bottle with a dispensing nozzle provided for each chamber that provides for variable dispensing of the contents of each chamber as the bottle is squeezed. The amount of each chamber's contents to be dispensed can be adjusted during the dispensing process. This feature allows fluids of different viscosities to have adjustable dispense rates suitable to the user.
2. Description of the Prior Arts
It is very common to store individual condiments in separate containers that also serve as dispensing containers when they are squeezed. Several different condiments are often used at one time, requiring picking up and squeezing a number of separate containers. In large food service settings, such as those found in schools, hospitals, and stadiums, for example, a large number of separate condiment containers can become unwieldy and time consuming to use. This is especially true when a large number of people are being fed simultaneously.
Salad dressings also can be used in multiple combinations, such as vinegar in one dispenser and oil in another dispenser. The oil, having a higher viscosity than vinegar, flows more slowly when dispensed through a given nozzle opening than does vinegar when dispensed through the same nozzle opening. The relatively lower viscosity of vinegar compared to oil means that the vinegar requires a smaller nozzle opening to produce near equal volumes of oil and vinegar on a salad, for example. Further, the nozzle opening should be adjustable during dispensing to suit individual oil and vinegar proportions according to one's tastes.
It is also common for dispensers to use relatively small caps to seal the ends of the dispensing nozzles. Because of their relatively small size, these caps can be easily dropped and contaminated or lost completely. Often it can be time consuming to determine which cap goes on which nozzle. These problems are amplified in large food service settings where time is further wasted in handling a large number of conventional condiment dispensers.
A U.S. Pat. No. 4,148,417, issued to Simmons features a squeeze dispenser with at least two compartments, each compartment having a nozzle to expel the contents of each compartment. The nozzles are the same size, therefore not allowing for contents of different viscosities to flow equally or in proportions desired by the user. If one compartment contains oil, and the other vinegar, the vinegar will flow more freely, releasing much more vinegar than oil in unwanted proportions. The same holds true for a common thin, yellow mustard and thicker ketchup. The inability to control the size of the nozzle opening presents difficulty when dispensing contents with dissimilar viscosities.
A U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,521, issued to Bounds is a two compartment condiment dispenser with two outlets intended for particulate contents, such as salt and pepper. Each outlet to dispense the salt or pepper is on opposing sides. A baffle is placed opposite each outlet so as to deflect and retain the contents of the unwanted compartment while shaking the dispenser to release the desired contents on the opposing side. Either condiment can be individually dispensed in this way. This dispenser is rigid and not intended to be squeezed. This dispenser would be inapplicable for liquids.
A U.S. Pat. No. 4,984,715, issued to Green is a two compartment squeeze bottle intended to expel the contents without inverting the bottle. Inverting the squeeze bottle is essential to apply condiments downward onto food. The intended embodiment is for toothpaste or an epoxy and catalyst dispenser. This container does not have a means to adjust the size of the nozzles for each chamber. Each nozzle also has a separate cap for sealing.
A U.S. Pat. No. 5,332,112, issued to Blocker describes a double partitioned bottle for storing contents, whether liquid or particulate. It is not intended to be squeezed to dispense its contents. It has two hinged seals at the top of the bottle that are held in a closed unsealed position with a screw on cap. This bottle could not function as a dispenser for liquid condiments.
A U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,440, issued to Maines is a dual, or multi-compartment container intended for use as a condiment dispenser. It has a rotatable cap that allows for the dispensing of either compartment individually, or together. In any of the three possible configurations that this cap provides, there is no provision to adjust the size of the nozzle openings. A compartment selected is either fully open or fully closed. This would not allow contents of dissimilar viscosities to dispense equally or in desired proportions.
A U.S. Pat. No. 6,583,103, issued to Klinkhammer describes a two chamber bottle for dispensing a two part cleaning solution from each chamber in equal amounts. Equal dispensing is essential to this patent. There is no provision for adjusting the flow when two liquids of different viscosities are present in the separate chambers.
A U.S. Pat. No. 6,758,411, issued to Conway, et. al. also describes a two chamber bottle for dispensing a two part cleaning solution from each chamber in equal amounts as in the above patent. Equal dispensing is essential to this patent. There is no provision for adjusting the flow when two liquids of different viscosities are present in the separate chambers.
A need exists for a squeezable condiment dispensing bottle capable of holding two compatible condiments, such as mustard and ketchup, or vinegar and oil, that will allow dispensing in proportions that are compatible with one's preference. The convenience provided by having two condiments in one dispenser is enhanced when the dispensing nozzles can be adjusted to vary the amount of condiment flow from the nozzles. The reason to have the ability to adjust the nozzle size is because the pressure inside both chambers is the same when the bottle is squeezed. Two nozzles of equal dispensing area will dispense equal amounts of condiment from each chamber when the viscosities of the condiments are the same. But that is seldom the case. Mustard is often thinner than ketchup, and as a result flows more freely than ketchup. Similarly, vinegar flows much more freely than oil. What is needed is the ability to vary the size of the orifice of the nozzle to restrict the flow of the thinner, or less viscous, condiment to the proportion desired for dispensing. Further, a simple, convenient way to make this adjustment while dispensing removes any trial and error in attempting to preset the nozzle openings prior to dispensing.